Apparatus for handling cotton



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

T. O. EBERHARDT. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COTTON.

No. 460,202. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No- Model.)

T. O. EBERHA'RDT. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COTTON.

N0. 460,202. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

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THE NCIRRIS PET (No Model.) I 3 snee tssneet 3 T. G. EBERHARDT.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COTTON. No. 460,202. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

Wifgcsse s 1 15,7 lgamfl'v M Theophilws CZ E'erkardb p 'rw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEOPHILUS CHARLES EBERHARDT, OF OUERO, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COTTON.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 460,202, dated September 29, 1891. Application filed June 19, 1890. Serial No. 355,955- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS CHARLES EBERHARDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cuero, in the county of DeiVitt and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Handling Cotton, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for handling seed-cotton; and it has for its object to provide a simple, efficient, and economical means for conveying the seedcotton to the gin-feeders and from the 0011- denser to the press, and likewise for conveying the seeds and motes, either together or separately, to some suitable place of deposit.

The invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective diagrammatic View showing the parts of my invention arranged in their proper relative positions. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the part of the device for conveying the seed-cotton to the gin-feeders. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective detail view of one of the rakes forming a part of the carrier shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the devices for conveying the seeds and motes from the gins to their place of deposit. Fig. (3 is a detail view of the device for conveying the cotton-bats from the condensers to the press. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the endless carrier for conveying the seeds and motes. Fig. 8 is a perspective detail view illustrating a modification.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

1 1 designate a pair of longitudinal horizontally-parallel troughs, the outer sides of which are connected at their ends by curved end pieces 2 2. The said troughs, which may be of any desired dimensions, are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other, and between the ends of the said troughs are mounted a pair of vertical shafts 3 3, having pulleys 4 4, over which passes an endless belt 5. This belt has in the accompanying drawings been shown as passing adjacent to the inner sides of the troughs 1 1 within said troughs; but it may be located outside of said troughs, if preferred. In lieu of the said endless belt, a chain, as 156, may also be employed, if preferred, in which event sprocketwheels 157 will be substituted for the pulleys 4 4, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

To the endless belt or chain 5 is secured a series of rakes 6, consisting of angular or L- shaped bars or plates, riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the belt or chain and ex tending transversely across the troughs, the horizontal arms of said bars or plates being preferably extended over the outer edges of said troughs, so as to rest upon the latter, which thereby support the weight of the rakes and of the belt or chain to which they are secured. The horizontal arms of the said rakes are provided with teeth 7, extending downwardly into the troughs, and the,said horizontal arms are furthermore provided at their inner ends with curved guides or brackets 8, adapted to bear against guides 9, which are secured to the upper edges of the inner sides of the troughs. The guides 9 are-provided at the ends of the troughs with outwardly-curved portions 10, adapted to be engaged by the guides or brackets 8 for the purpose of maintaining the horizontal arms of the rakes in positions radial to the shafts 3 while the said rakes are passing around the pulleys at the ends of the troughs.

11 designates a suitably-located hopper, the bottom of which is provided with openings 12, communicating with both of the troughs 1 1, so that seed-cotton placed in the said hopper will be carried by the rakes to the gin-feeders. The troughs l 1 are located directly above the gin-feeders, which latter are designated by 13. Any desired number of gin-feeders may be fed or supplied by a single conveyer. In the construction of the gins 125 and feeders no novelty is herein claimed, and they have been merely indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The conveyer may be supported in any suitable manner above .the gins and feeders, and one of the shafts 3 is to be provided with a pulley 73 for receiving motion from any suitable motive power. The bottoms of the troughs are to be provided with openings 14, through which the seed-cotton may pass to the feeders, directly above which said openings are located.

15 designates a conveyer the construction of which isidentical with that first described, with the single exception that instead of the rakes it is provided with solid plates 16,which may be of either wood or metal, and which are better adapted than the rakes to carry or sweep the seeds and motes through the troughs of the said conveyer. The conveyer 15 is arranged below the gins, which latter are to be preferably provided with spouts 17 and 17 ,serving to convey the seeds and motes, respectively,into the troughs of the conveyor 15. The' seeds and motes fall directly from the gins into the conveyer 15 separately and independently, and the bottom of the conveyer 15 is provided with one or more openings 18, through which the seeds and motes may pass into suitable receptacles separately or together, as may be preferred.

19 designates the condensers having the delivery-openings 19".

20 is a broad endless belt mounted upon suitable rollers 202 directlyin rear of and in a plane several feet below the condensers from which the cotton issues. The conveyer formed bythe said endless belt is made to communicate with and to receive the cotton-bat from each condenserbymeans of achute or apron192, extending from the condenser downwardly to the belt or carrier. The lower end of each of the said chutes or aprons is extended across the said belt or carrier at an angle of about forty-five degrees in the direction of the movement of the belt. By this construction of the delivering chutes or aprons the bat will be turned and deposited smoothly upon the carrier-belt, which in turn will deliver the cotton-batting in this condition to the press, which is indicated at 21. If it is desired to elevate the cotton at the end of the series of gins a second conveyer-belt 22, mounted upon rollers 232 and arranged in an upwardly inclined position,may be disposed with its lower end directly below the delivery end of the first or main conveyer to receive the several layers or bats and carry them upward and finally deposit them in the press-box.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed.

The seed-cotton requires to be handled but once for the purpose of placing it in the hopper 11, from whence it is conveyed by the rakes mounted upon the endless belt or chain 5 to the feeders. After passing from the feeders and through the gins and condensers the cotton-batting is carried by the endless conveyer 20 direct to the press, where it is deposited without the necessity for further manipulation. In like manner the seeds and motes are automatically conveyed,either separately or together, to a suitable place or places of deposit.

My improved apparatus may be made of dimensions to serve any desired number of gins, and it will be readily seen that by my said improvements much labor may be dispensed with.

My improved apparatus for handling cotton may be constructed at a very moderate expense, and it will be found exceedingly useful and labor-saving Wherever large quantities of cotton require to be handled.

The conveyer or distributer which is arranged to supply the seed-cotton to the ginfeeders may, in addition to the openings communicating with said feeders, be provided with a bottom opening, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 at 159, through which the surplus or overflow of cotton may escape, there by avoiding danger of choking the said conveyer or distributer.

Having thus described my invention, I clam- 1. In a device for handling seed-cotton, a conveyer comprising two horizontal parallel troughs connected by curved end pieces and each provided with suitable bottom openings to connect with gin-feeders, and an endless carrier-belt mounted upon pulleys arranged at the ends of the said troughs, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for handling seed-cotton, a conveyer comprising two horizontal parallel troughs connected by curved ends, and pulleys or wheels arranged at the ends of said troughs, in combination with the endless carrier having a series of rakes, the horizontal arms of which are extended beyond the outer edges of the troughs, substantially as set forth.

8. In a device for handling seed-cotton, the combination, with the conveyer comprising a pair of horizontal parallel troughs connected by curved end pieces and provided with the endless carrier having rakes mounted thereon, of the guide -brackets extending rearwardly from said rakes, and the guideways mounted upon the troughs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a device for handling seed-cotton, the herein-described endless conveyer having the guide-tracks mounted upon the upper edges of the inner sides of its troughs, said guide-tracks being provided at the ends with outwardly-curved portions, in combination with the rakes consisting of angular or L- shaped plates suitably attached to the endless band of the conveyer and having downwardly-extending teeth and rearwardly-extending curved brackets, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a device for handling seed-cotton, a conveyer comprising a pair of horizontal parallel troughs, curved end pieces connectingthe same, pulleys or wheels arranged at the ends of said troughs, and an endless carrier mounted upon said pulleys or wheels, each of said troughs being provided with bottom openings, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device for handling cotton, the combination, with the gins, the feeders, and condensers, of the endless carriers arranged to supply the cotton to the gin-feeders and to motes received in said troughs to places of Io receive the lint-cotton and the seeds and deposit, substantially as set forth. motes, substantially as set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 7. The combination of the gins, a pair of my own I have hereto affixed my signature 5 parallel troughs arranged in the same horiin presen as of two Witnesses.

zontal plane below the gins, the Wheels or THEOPHILUS CHARLES EBERHARDT. pulleys at the ends of said troughs, and the Witnesses: endless carrier mounted upon said wheels or V. WV. HARDT,

pulleys and adapted to convey the seed and H. F. HARDT. 

